What happens when a teacher refuses to define students by their shortcomings?

In this first episode of Teacher Stories' new partnership with Above & Beyond Teaching, Ken Futernick talks with 2024 Above & Beyond honoree Mike Tinoco, an English and journalism teacher from San Jose whose impact extends far beyond the classroom. Mike shares how his own struggles in school shaped his commitment to seeing every student’s potential—especially those others might overlook.

“You can take all of my belongings. You can make me carry my life in a trash bag. I can be homeless. You can even take my family from me if that's what you must do, but you can't take Monica from Monica.”

Those are the words of Monica Juliana, a high school student from West Virginia who endured an especially challenging upbringing, the kind that would have prevented most children from succeeding in school…

Author and educator Alfie Kohn challenges us to define our shared, long-term goals for children before identifying what makes a good teacher. In this thought-provoking podcast, he argues that to cultivate thoughtful, life-long learners, teachers must empower students to question, challenge, and take control of their own learning.